Let the Light Glow Gold
by Aiko Isari
Summary: AU. To keep the world's magic in place, Alicia Testarossa must be sacrificed to the Abyss, the former treasure of golden light. Centuries passed from that day. While playing, young Nanoha and her friends find a sealed capsule with a small creature guarding it. Perhaps they should have left it alone.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One: Nighttime and Light_**

A bell tolled overhead, long and slow, in unison with the solemn footsteps of the figures beneath it. They moved along in blood-red robes-

(the better to hide the stains)

Their lanterns and chains clanking along as they went. In the middle of the four figures is a single, shorter one, their face hidden in an almost comically large hood. They stumbled but remained standing, as they were meant to do. Falling would not save them from their fate, in the end.

As they passed underneath the tower, the person looked up at the full moon with red eyes and watched it start to turn. They swallowed. Then, they looked straight ahead and moved ahead, away from a possible glancing blow.

The bell tolled again as the door creaked shut behind them.

When the bell fell silent, someone, far away, screamed. He scream echoed through the years, all the way into the dreams of a sleeping girl, one hundred years later.

Takamachi Nanoha woke with a start, tears on her sun-kissed cheeks and Takamachi Vivio covering her mouth with little palms.

"Missus is looking for us, Nee-chan," Vivio whispered, her blond curls bouncing with her energy. "Ssh."

Nanoha smiled with joy and covered Vivio's mouth with her own hands. The two of them muffle their giggles as other voices rush about, bantering and grumbling with irritation.

"Honestly, they spoil her," grumbled a maid. "What would their parents think if they heard?"

Nanoha tried to ignore the way her blood ran cold and how Vivio tensed up. Instead, the two of them continued to listen to the silence, no longer laughing.

"Nee-chan."" Vivio's high little voice was serious, her red and green eyes sparkling with anger.

Nanoha smiled, hiding the wetness of her eyes. "It's fine, Vivio. C'mon, let's go meet the others." She picked up the little girl like she weighed little more than an eggplant, which would be rather accurate. "They're all a bunch of sillies anyway."

"All sillies!" VIvio agreed, waving her arms. Nanoha shushed her, causing the two of them to burst into helpless giggles as they flee to safety. Or rather, flee to the next mansion.

Honestly, what had they expected, taking children from their Japanese style home to a place in Europe? They were going to explore.

Something rustled behind them, but, with the perceived immortality of youth, they ignored it.

* * *

The reason Nanoha was here, in fact, had nothing to do with her, not her sisters and brother, not their family, but the families who had been here in the past. She was an awful little servant girl, come to think of it. But Nanoha, being nine years old, did not think about it, and certainly little Vivio didn't either. There were no servants in this day and age, not since the war.

So all the little girls had to do was run forward to the two figures practicing their curtsies beneath a tree. They were only helping with a ceremony. It was the limit of the use of their existence, or something similar. Nanoha was not in a place to question it.

"Alisa-chan, Suzuka-chan!" Nanoha pitched her voice as far as she could. Vivio echoed her and giggled, ruining the pitch of her voice as she did. Nanoha giggled at the sound. The girls up ahead weren't much better. Suzuka was smiling tightly to keep it together perhaps in a way counter to Alisa's waving fists and fanged smile at the sight.

"What took you guys so long?"

Nanoha's sheepish laugh, always a little forced, burst out before she could answer, leaving Vivio waving her pale fists. "Maids 're tough!"

Alisa huffed. "You coulda just said we ordered you out here."

"Then they would have called us all back." Nanoha flapped her fingers. "It's fine, Alisa-chan! Let's go exploring, okay?"

Both girls looked at her skeptically but Alisa shook her head. "Yeah before they get us in our ugly clothes!"

"Come on, they aren't that bad…" Suzuka was sighing theatrically. She winked at Vivio, who beamed.

"They're fancy," Alisa grumbled, before pointing behind them. Nanoha's violet eyes locked on a building with vines starting to climb over its edges, leaves poking gleefully from the doorway. "This is where the party is going to be tomorrow." She grinned. "We're finally gonna get our family magic."

Nanoha giggled. "You make it seem like so much fun."

"Not all of us are born with it, Nanoha." Alisa flipped her hair. "Come on let's explore before the grown-ups lock things up."

Nanoha turned Suzuka, her technical boss, and waited for the nod of approval. Suzuka smiled and agreed. With that, the four of them were off.

The birds chirped their song overhead. And yet, Nanoha couldn't help this feeling of dread.

Maybe it was just because Vivio had stopped walking and clung to her instead. Yes, that must be it.

* * *

It wasn't her first fall, but Nanoha had her feeling this one had done the most damage.

She rubbed her head and picked herself up from the hard ground. She reached back to check her head. No wetness, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. She would have to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Nee-shan!" Vivio's tiny voice sounded even smaller down here.

"Nanoha!"

"I'm okay!" _I think…_ "There's a path up ahead! I'm going to see where it goes!"

"Nanoha!" Suzuka tried to scold but it was too late. Nanoha was already making a way across the rocky path. She tried not to look for the rips in her dress, to ignore the pounding of her heart in this enclosed area. There was no water dripping from the ceiling.

But there was music and it was very distracting. And, conveniently enough, it was coming from the direction she was heading. For a moment, Nanoha hesitated. She knew what these sort of things led to. However…

"Between being stuck here indefinitely and going towards that light…" Nanoha patted her cheeks. "I'll make it work somehow!"

So she kept going, old shoes brushing against vines and dirt against stone. Slowly, the cave began to brighten and a sweet smell touched her nose. Unfortunately, she was getting very tired. Her head started to throb. Nanoha quickly started to hum. She couldn't fall asleep. She could not sleep. If she slept she would die. If she closed her eyes she would die. Don't blink too slow. Her teeth started to chatter with no one to remind her not to. Don't stop, don't stop, don't-

A wind blew, cutting off her thoughts as she made it to a place in the slowly setting sun. Beneath a tree sat a worn cross, and underneath that cross was a strange capsule. Something red glowed at its base.

"Wow…" she whispered, unable to cry out in surprise. "What is this?"

Predictably, nothing seemed to answer. However, a single, bright light flickered once more.

Against her better judgement, Nanoha moved closer, close enough to touch the smooth capsule. It felt strange under her fingers, alien. And yet, she didn't want to pull her hand away. At its back edge, a small creature, somewhat like a ferret, slept atop it, a red gem at its throat. It seemed peacefully unaware of her. She moved to inspect it, pulling her hand away in the process.

The capsule made a noise like a groan. Then, it started to move.

"Initializing Abyssal Gate." It droned so softly yet the groaning of its mechanics grew louder. "New user recognized. Accumulation boot start. Stand by for set up."

"What…?"

The red gem on the ferret's neck shone as it opened jade green eyes. Then, all Nanoha could see was bright, vivid red.

She was beginning to think she had made a mistake.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **I knew I could do it! I just had to like, wreck all my expectations of what this fic was going to be. Time to combine two unlikely fandoms in a battle for magic! Friendship! And non-friendly fight scenes. Enjoy everybody!

Challenges: Three Sided Box (28 chapters at 1200 (1100-1300) words), Small Multichap CompetitionCoM, Diversity Writing CoM J33, Novella Masterclass Pandora Hearts list 6.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two: A Magical Girl or Two_

Fate opened her eyes slowly, a great weight like water washing immediately over her face. Reflexes kicked in in seconds and she opened her mouth to breathe in. Her lungs took in something else. Reflexively she tried to spit it out. It failed but soon it didn't matter. The water keeping her still soon flooded away, splashing her to the ground and sending a ringing through her ears. She groaned in agony, blond hair flopping over her face with nothing to ground it. Sputtering water and earth by reflex, the blessed air that reached her lungs was supremely welcome.

At least, until she got her bearings.

The smell of real earth, not ceramic tile, rushed into her nose. The air was not dry from disuse and there was no dust. And… there was magic.

Magic swam around her with the abyss' cool violet color. There was some murky black in there, of course, towards the ground and sinking further and further down, but still. There was magic, real magic.

How long had she been asleep for?

She would have to find a calendar at some point.

Fate struggled for a moment to press her hands to the ground, to find purchase. Before she could quite push up from the ground, her eyes caught sight of two things on the ground.

A couple feet away was a ferret, small and panting hard. Her head ached to remember its name. The second was a girl, and she was floating, surrounded by pink light.

Fate blinked, pain making her eyes water. Was that real? Was that girl… enveloped in mana? Magic was for the wealthy, those who could wield it with ease and pleasure because they had nothing to lose. Otherwise, it was simply witchcraft and worthy of the stones and flames.

And yet the girl floated there, surrounded by the old writings and… that red gem!

She reached for it. Then her body gave out, sending her to the ground again. That gem, that chain had chosen her. It was about to make a contract. Unless that girl was like her-

"Connection complete," it intoned, breaking the silence of the air. "Set up established. Initializing stand-by mode."

Someone was shouting from behind her. Or she thought it was shouting. Her head throbbed with the effort to stay away, but then it proved moot. Everything went black, much to her disappointment. After being still for so long, it had been nice t be able to see and hear and feel again. The only trouble was-

She couldn't recall why she had been sleeping in the first place.

* * *

When she awoke, there was a sleeping girl beside her. And there were so many pairs of eyes, all of the full of something like disapproval. The magic, the sensation of magic was weaker here, but it was present. And most of all was a pair of red-

Pain.

Pain pain pain pain. he was supposed to be used to it, to ignore it for mother's sake. She would be proud if it went ignored but everything hurt so much she just couldn't-

Arf. That word -name- ground her thoughts to a careful halt.

Where was her Arf? And, more importantly, had she been sleeping all this time?

Fate made herself sink into the bed again. Wherever the red eyes were, they weren't going to reach her now. They were too covered at the moment. It would make a scene.

The people were looking away from her now, talking amongst themselves in a rush. Weakly, she made herself turn her head to look at the girl beside her. She was the one with the magic. Even her sluggish senses could tell that much. And… she looked vaguely familiar. Had they met somewhere before? Or was it… was it someone else?"

Something moved from the other girl's side and one red eye, one green eye blinked over at her. For the moment, they seemed painlessly curious. That could change in the blink of an eye. Then again, she had an eye of misfortune. How had she lived this long in the first place? And with such healthy pallor…

She needed answers. If Mother were here, she would have given them. Alas, that was unlikely. She would have contacted her the moment she had awoken, expecting results.

 _Arf?_ She cast out. Nothing. Was there so little mana in the air for it?

"Get some food," she finally heard a voice order. It was young, but then, that wasn't surprising. Wealthy families had inheritance rights so much younger because so many people died sooner. It was likely they had siblings too. "Nanoha will be starving too."

They obeyed, likely out of having no other choice, leaving the room with only a few people and… a ferret.

No… wait. Wait. That was not the magical signature of a ferret. _Yu… Yuuno?_

 _Fate._ The gentle voice filled her mind with joy. _I'm glad you're awake. How are you?_

 _Tired,_ she admitted, staring up at the ceiling. _Where am I?_

 _We're at the summer home… one hundred years later._

Whatever Fate had been expecting to hear, it definitely wasn't that.

* * *

Nanoha felt like a carriage had walked over her organs.

Her torso ached like new muscles had been invented. That said, her mind felt clear, warmly so, if that was supposed to be a positive development. Something seemed to be drifting on the edge of her consciousness like it was right behind her. But behind her was a wall, so unless something was in the next room…

Well, that was possible but then it would be louder.

"Nee-chan."

Vivio saying the title like a statement of fact made her open her eyes. Everything was too bright for a moment, but then she could breathe again. She reached out and managed to hug Vivio. "Hey," she croaked. "Sorry."

"Are we always going to find you unconscious somewhere?" Arisa's voice trembled with anger and fear and it made Nanoha crack a smile.

"I'll try not to," she said, even managing a giggle. "Soon as I remember how I ended up this way in the first place."

"That'd be her fault." Arisa jerked her thumb out of Nanoha's vision, forcing Nanoha to attempt sitting up to have any idea of what that meant. This still hurt, and it didn't help that Vivio was still sitting on her stomach. She was even shaking a little. SHe didn't see her sister unconscious very often after all. Nanoha forced her fingers to curl into soft blonde hair and turn her head.

She met a tired gaze, red and clinging to something intangible.

"Beautiful," she said before she could stop herself.

Beautiful, and terribly familiar.

Nanoha felt her head throb.


	3. Chapter 3

_Warning: Pandora Hearts._

* * *

 _Chapter Three: Collective of Chains_

Nanoha remembered walking down many long corridors. Her legs were smaller and she was holding something, something very heavy, but it was important that she continue to walk until something told her to stop, or she reached her destination, wherever that might be.

The hallways were chilly, and moonlight was no longer brightening the windows. Everything was pale and cold. There was chaos, she had thought, a lot of noise, but it was far behind her like it was in a ballroom somewhere. Maybe people were supposed to be dancing. She hadn't heard anything like dancing.

She had been much smaller, she knew, her hands were tiny and arms already exhausted. Her mind was certain that it had been so long ago that this had happened, but she couldn't... She couldn't put why into words.

The bundle had shifted and she had smiled at it. She had promised.

She had promised to protect them forever and a day, no matter how red they became.

But that had been so long ago and now Nanoha was half-sure it was a nightmare she had made up to comfort herself. Vivio certainly didn't remember anything.

* * *

Getting both girls able to sit up took a lot of pillows but it was worth it to see the strange girl Fate devour the food with the barest attempt at manners. She must have been starving. Though she had been in a pod for who knows how long, she had to be.

Nanoha ate too, but by contrast, she ate less, feeding little Vivio every few bites. Arisa would scold her later. Vivio was a growing, impressionable girl after all, unlike them. She would learn all the wrong things if continuously left to Nanoha.

Suzuka was out placating the maids, which was good because if Arisa had to hear anyone else whisper about Nanoha again in the next hour, they were getting _fired_ , no questions asked. She was self-reliant enough to not need them all.

Arisa kept her hands on her hips, smirking every once in a while at the crumbs appearing on the blanket.

"So," she said, staring into their eyes on at a time. The new girl looked at her like an owl, while Nanoha only raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. One hand was nestled in Vivio's hair, the girl's red and green eyes drooping clothes.

"Thank you for the food," the girl said quickly, red eyes bright and warm. Arisa blinked twice.

"You're-uh…" Arisa, like most, did not know how to handle gratitude that earnest and well-meaning, like it wasn't something a decent person would do. "You're welcome!" She finally decided on, looking as proud as ever. "In thanks for that though, you can tell us why you were down there and everything if you know."

Nanoha looked up and over while the other girl's face slowly set into a line.

"I'm sorry," she began. Her fingers folded together into the sheet. "I don't know much and I also don't know who you are or when this is… what I know may not even be relevant or…"

"I'm Arisa Bannings." Arisa, in true style, cut her off. "And this is Takamachi Nanoha and Vivio. Nanoha there found you in that pod thing, which you're lucky we can't get into yet. But there was a giant light show and I-" She pointed for emphasis at nowhere in particular. "Consider you very suspicious. So who are you, what were you doing? Suzuka and I are from families who have power. They can help."

"Also is this your ferret?" Nanoha leaned to reach under the pillow. There was a strangled squeak as her hands carefully revealed the most unferret looking ferret Arisa had ever seen sitting on her hands and partially on Vivio's sleeping head. It blinked big green eyes at them.

"Oh." The girl's face contorted between something like a smile and something other, much sadder. "You're one of the four great families. That's… that's useful. That…" She paused as if she was thinking. "That is just enough actually for me to… discuss." She bowed her head. "My name is Fate Testarossa. I was placed in that pod to survive a calamity that would soon arrive. My mother… she determined that I must protect something from the chains of the Abyss."

"You mean the jail for souls from legends?" Arisa said, her strawberry blonde eyebrows both going up.

Fate's red eyes rested on Arisa's face, almost guileless in how serious they were. "The Abyss is quite real. I'm surprised this place is intact.."

"Collapse?" Nanoha repeated. Her head had begun to hurt, but she attributed that to the fact that she had passed out today and fed the ferret some meat and tomato. "There was an accident here, right?"

"No, not here." Arisa tapped her foot to think. Nanoha maintained a smile, mostly because Arisa didn't know that pose made her look exactly like her mother - a pang of homesickness struck her chest - and Nanoha wasn't going to remind her. "There used to be a city called Uminari down by the ocean. Our great grandparents lived there back in the day before it got cratered."

Fate frowned and nodded. "I see… that must have been due to the chaos of the abyss. Then how… how would I have gotten here from there…" For a moment, her eyes glazed over for a moment and then she shook her head. "No, never mind, thank you." Her stiff voice was still sincere if only a little. "Did you see a strange, large creature when you were there?" She looked at Nanoha as she spoke, who shook her head no.

"Just this." She held up the ferret again. If Arisa didn't know ferrets could not pout, she could have sworn this one had figured out how.

Fate chewed on her lip. "I see…"

The room was quiet, Arisa looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Um…" Nanoha broke the silence as she raised her hand. "Could you, uhm, explain this, Fate-chan?" The red gem in her hand flickered pink and shone.

Fate turned pale, well, paler. "It… it's responding to you?"

As if it could hear, the gem floated up on Nanoha's hand. "My master has been identified. Chain set."

The ferret squeaked and scrambled over to Fate, who let him climb to her shoulder and rest there. Fate was shaking her head. "Amazing…"

"What is?" Arisa demanded as Suzuka finally returned to the room, a tea kettle on a tray in hand.

Fate's inscrutable expression was now full of joy and wonder. "There's still magic in this world. This is incredible." She moved to shift from the bed and grabbed both of Nanoha's hands. "I…, please. Will you help me? I think I understand everything now… and I need your help."

Nanoha nodded without hesitation without seeming to know why. And that was fine really. The more she looked into those red eyes, the more she needed, needed to help.

Maybe it would help her find some answers.


End file.
